


Gods are changing

by prokyon



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: I apologize for the title as well, I really don't know how to tag, M/M, Priest!Seb AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-09
Updated: 2015-04-09
Packaged: 2018-03-22 01:36:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3709969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prokyon/pseuds/prokyon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sebastian is a priest in a small Irish village. When he holds his first funeral, someone turns up who is so much more interesting than anyone else he's ever seen...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gods are changing

**Author's Note:**

> I am no native speaker, so I apologize for any mistakes I made. You're invited to correct me, I don't mind! :)

Golden rays of sunshine dance over the nearly technicolor green grass, and encourage the first birds to sing their songs. The air smells like rain, though, and dark clouds linger at the horizon.  
Sebastian takes another deep breath, turning an unlit cigarette between his fingers. He's allowed himself one a day and none on sundays, in an effort of giving up the habit totally, but today, he thinks, he can make an exception.  
Because today is his first funeral, the one of Siobhan Moriarty, a nice older woman from the village, who has always had fresh tea and lovely cookies baked especially for him. It has been tragic, Seb has heard the story many times, so surprising. Cancer, already spreading in the liver. But she has believed in God, all the way, and thus Sebastian has arranged for her to be laid to rest at a spot her family couldn't technically afford, next to a large oak, shielding the grave from harsh, unforgiving storms.  
Sebastian tucks the still unlit cigarette back into the pack and turns around, his shoes making nearly no sound on the soft grass.  
Time to start. 

When he enters the small church he has become so familiar with in the last three months, everyone looks to him, eyes watery with tears.  
The coffin bearer, a broad, short man, walks behind him, carefully transportating the cinerary urn. Sebastian can smell him over the incense; cheap whiskey, hard work and the goulash the man eats nearly everyday.  
When they reach the altar, Sebastian gestures to the coffin bearer to set the urn down. 

"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies,' says the Lord," Sebastian begins. He can feel a lump foarming in his throat, and he clears his throat slightly.  
"We are gathered here today because of the death of Siobhan Moriarty," he speaks the established wording that has been spoken at countless funerals before and will be spoken at countless funerals after.  
"I haven't known Siobhan for more than six months, but she will always have a special place in my heart. She was one of the warmest, most welcoming people I ever had the chance to meet, always a smile on the lips and His Commandments in mind."  
Billie, Siobhan's cousin, is outright crying now, and Sebastian doubts she'll be able to pull herself together in time for her part.  
Nevertheless, he continues, offering support for the mourners and asking for help from Him, until it is time for the participation of the family members.  
It is Billies turn now, and thankfully, her eyes have stopped dissolving into tears. She stands up now, slowly and shaking, and Sebastian helps her up the steps. Her smile is weak, but genuine. 

Billie clears her throat, two, three times, before she starts speaking, and Sebastian's gaze starts sweeping over the assembled mourners.  
He knows most of them, if not personally, then from pictures and stories their mothers and fathers told him.  
But there is someone he doesn't know. He's in his late twenties, maybe, small and thin and very pale in a dark suit Sebastian can see is very expensive. That isn't the odd thing about him though, the odd thing is the vibe he gives off.  
Dark and twisted and possessive, it radiates from the lean figure in waves, like tentacles and spiderwebs, crawling over the images of the saints, the mourners, the flowers, candles, and over Seb.  
Very suddenly, the man's attention switches away from the sniveling Billie telling stories about Siobhan Moriarty and Sebastian is fixated in his eyebeam.  
Pitch black and bottomless, seas full of what-ifs and why-don't-yous, Sebastian is hypnotized, unable to look anywhere but this man. In a slight smile, he curls his lips and shifts a bit, a silvery tiepin catching the light.  
Sebastian blinks, and the ban is broken. 

"And now, let us pray the Lord's prayer.  
Our father who art in Heaven…"  
Sebastian itches for the peace these rituals words can gift him, for the knowledge that he is been looked after, like an addict for a fix, but today, the space normally occupied by Him is filled with an entirely different deity, a deity with jet-black hair, an expensive suit and pale glowing skin.  
He rushes through the prayer, a little bit too fast maybe, and is endlessly relieved when he finally, finally can stop.

He takes a moment to compose himself before he makes his way outside, walking slowly and reverent, both in the face of God and of death, followed by the coffin bearer who nearly reeks of cheap whiskey.  
The sun momentarely blinds Sebastian when he leaves the relatively dim chapel, the beautiful Irish landscape dissolving in pure white.  
The birds are chirping merrily while the urn sinks in the ground and hits the dark soil at the bottom with a faint thump that elicits mured cries from the crowd.  
Sebastian continues with the prayers, blesses the urn and the grave, all the while speaking calmly, and, so he hopes, reassuring.  
After a few minutes, he is finished with the ordeal, and begins with springkling Holy Water over the grave.  
The first to follow his example are Siobhan Moriarty's sister and Billie, still sniveling and clutching tissues. During this part, Sebastian has nothing more to do than standing next to the open grave, which gives him opportunity to scan the crowd.  
The pale man isn't there.  
Sebastian shifts his weight; the sun is shining, but the air is still wintery cold, and his thin soutane doesn't help much against the harsh wind blowing over the country. He can feel goosebumps breaking out all over his body. 

"What a beautiful service, Father! Thank you so much, Siobhan would have been eternally thankful, I'm sure of that." Billie shows him another one of her weak smiles Seb has seen far too often in the last two weeks. He smiles back at her, nodding.  
"Thank you, Billie, thank you." His voice feels like it is composed of big triangles, tilting in his throat. Judging from the look in the woman's eyes, she has noticed too. Suddenly, she surpresses another wail and turns away, wanting to be left alone in her grief.  
The mourners leave the graveyard one by one, a black mass slowly pouring out of the gate onto the street.  
Something glints.  
Sebastian's head snaps up, searching for the source. His gaze sweeps over the crowd until it glints again, leading his eyes towards a black car, one of the type Sebastian has had around him his whole childhood.  
The man from the church is leaning against it, fingers idly tapping on a fancy black phone. Sebastian notices the tie pin again, catching the light.  
Then, as if the man has noticed him staring, he looks up, smirks, puts the phone in his pocket and comes over.  
"Hello, Father."  
The voice is deeper than one would think upon seing the man, like molten gold filling his ears. Sebastian's mouth involuntarely curves into a smile.  
"I'm sorry, I don't think I have seen you around before?" He clears his throat, trying to get the lump out of it.  
"I suppose you haven't, no." The smirk on the pale face hasn't faded; if anything, deepened. The pitch-black eyes appear dark brown in the sunshine, but that doesn't diminish the influence they have on Sebastian. 

Then, the man turns away, saunters to the fancy black car and winks at Sebastian, who really can't surpress a bright smile.  
"Father?"  
Sebastian turns around, slightly startled by the sudden sound.  
It is Mary, one of the daughters of Billie. She is pretty, in a course kind, with straight, red hair and warm brown eyes.  
"Yes, Mary?"  
"Would you like to join us for lunch? The whole family meets up…" She smiles at him, and Sebastian notices that her make-up has faded a bit, revealing the dark circles under her eyes.  
"If you want to have me," Sebastian answers. It will be significantly better than going home alone now, and maybe he will be able to gather more information about the strange man.  
Mary nods, yes, they would love to have him, and excuses herself, searching for Billie.

The black car has droven off by now, and most of the people have made their way back home or to the restaurant as well.  
When he makes his way to his small house to change, the sun shines bright, and the birds sing, but in his mind, there's still the pale man.


End file.
